Art Rx

The weather may be turning cooler, but that just means it’s perfect for walking around. The doctor wants you to enjoy fall with a stroll down 14th Street and the serendipitous art of the Art in Odd Places Festival, or an art walk through Harlem, or you can take advantage of Open House New York, an amazing opportunity to see hundreds of notable architectural sites around the city.

For those feeling heavier on their feet, there’s a discussion about Keith Haring in the Village, a lecture by the infamous artist Christo uptown, and a graffiti video screening and panel discussion downtown. But don’t let all that pontificating stop you from getting out to party — ours, even! Hyperallergic is hosting our third anniversary party this Friday, and we’d love to see you there. Just don’t forget to keep that bottle of Advil on the nightstand; you’ll need it for help with the hangover.

A version of Keith Haring’s “Untitled (Boxers)” (1987/88) will be included in “We the People” at the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation Project Space. (image via Flickr/marco sees things)

We the People

The presidential election is only a month away (!!), so it’s inevitable that we’ll keep seeing plenty of political art until then. This week the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation opens its new project space with the exhibition We the People, curated by Alison Gingeras and Jonathan Horowitz. The show features a wide range of work by 55 artists, plus a special component called We the People TV, which will mimic regular broadcast TV (religious programs, talk shows, etc.), except with subversive artistic interruptions mixed in.

Keith Haring & Greenwich Village

When: Wednesday, October 3, 6:30–8 pm
Where: Theresa Lang Community and Student Center at the New School (55 West 13th Street, 2nd floor, Manhattan)

The doctor knows that too much nostalgia for New York’s bygone days won’t do anyone any good, but she figures a little reminiscing combined with critical insights can’t hurt. On Wednesday night, artists and gallerists Hal Bromm and Patti Astor will talk about Keith Haring and his relationship to the Village; joining them will be curator Tricia Laughlin Bloom, who organized the recent Brooklyn Museum show devoted to Haring.

Dorkbot

This monthly meeting series centers around artists, designers, engineers, scientists, and others “who are involved in the creative use of electricity.” That’s pretty broad, but we’re intrigued, plus it’s free, and this month features performance artist Nate Hill, video artist Jason Akira Somma, and Irene Moon, who creates “multimedia environments, organizations, happenings, and music about or inspired by insects.” If insect art isn’t the definition of nerdy fun, we don’t know what is.

Controversial Christo

We’ve been reporting nonstop on Christo’s controversial Colorado project, “Over the River,” and now, this week, you get a chance to see him in person! There’s no guarantee he’ll discuss “Over the River,” but the lecture is subtitled “Two Works in Progress,” so we feel like the odds are good. Love him or hate, this talk should be interesting — and, we should note, is one of tons of events happening in Archtober, aka Architecture and Design Month for New York City.

Graffiti/Post Graffiti

Think the commercialization and selling of street art is a new trend? Not quite. In 1984, Paul Tschinkel’s ART/new york released the half-hour documentary Graffiti/Post Graffiti, which looked at New York graffiti as it began to move off the street and into galleries. The video features interviews with artists Jean-Michel Basquiat, Rammellzee, and Lady Pink and gallerists Patti Astor and Tony Shafrazi; Astor, Lady Pink, and Fab Five Freddy will all take part in a panel discussion after this screening at the New Museum.

Past Futures

Every age has its utopian visions of the future, and looking at them in retrospect can be endlessly amusing and fascinating. Storefront for Art and Architecture opens a new exhibition, Past Futures, Present, Futures, devoted entirely to unrealized proposals for New York. The show begins with documentation of the past’s future visions and will add the contemporary proposals — by invited artists, architects, writers and policy makers — daily.

Interior of the Eldridge Street Synagogue, with Kiki Smith and Deborah Gans’s stained glass window in back (image via Flickr/Librarygroover)

Art in Odd Places

When: Starts Friday, October 5 (through October 15)
Where: Along 14th Street, from Avenue C to the Hudson River (East and West Villages, Manhattan)

Art in Odd Places is a quirky art festival that’s best experienced serendipitously. That is, rather than plan your trip precisely, it’s exciting to just wander down parts of 14th Street on different days and see what you find. According to the website, you can expect — oh you know, not much, just “poetry, performance, site-specific installations, videos, painting, sculpture, drawing, illustration, street art, mobile studios, design, music, as well as innovative trans-disciplinary work.”

Open House New York

When: Saturday, October 6–Sunday, October 7
Where: All over New York City

Art Uptown

The Harlem Art Walk Tour is also happening this weekend, with over 80 participating artists and dozens of galleries and spaces. Although it’s technically part of Open House New York, too, we figured it’s worth it’s own mention; how often do you get a day to explore the Harlem art scene? And the doctor recommends you follow it up with dinner at Sylvia’s. Not great for the cholesterol, but damn good for the soul.